Why Being the "Best Kept Secret" is Killing Your Profits
I was sitting down with a landscaper in Brookwater a few months ago. This bloke has been in the game for twenty years. His work is incredible—retaining walls that look like art, turf that feels like a five-star resort. But he was frustrated.
"Mate," he said, "I’m losing jobs to kids with a ute and a lawnmower who don't know a drainage pipe from a garden hose. Why is nobody calling me first?"
The answer was blunt: Nobody knew who he was until they happened to stumble across his website. He was a "secret." And in business, being a secret is expensive.
Most Brisbane business owners think that if they do a good job, word of mouth will do the rest. That’s a lovely thought, but it’s slow. If you want to grow—really grow—you need people to know your name before they even need your services.
That is what a "brand awareness campaign" actually is. It’s not about fancy logos or winning design awards. It’s about making sure that when a homeowner in Coorparoo thinks "I need a plumber," your face or your company name is the first thing that pops into their head.
The "Mental Real Estate" Game
Think about it. When you need a coffee, you probably already have a spot in mind. When you need a new battery for the car, you likely think of a specific shop. You aren't searching from scratch every time.
This is "mental real estate." You want to own a piece of your customer's brain.
If you only show up on Google when someone types in a search, you are competing with everyone else on price. But if they already know you, like you, and trust you because they’ve seen your trucks, your videos, or your ads around town, the competition is over before it starts. You can stop competing on price because you aren't just another name on a list; you're the expert they’ve been seeing everywhere.
What This Actually Costs (and What You Get)
Let’s talk turkey. Most marketing agencies will try to sell you on "impressions" or "reach." You don't care about that. You care about the phone ringing.
However, being well-known takes a bit of time and a bit of cash. It’s not like a direct sale ad where you spend $10 and get a $50 sale tomorrow. It’s more like planting a fruit tree.
The Cost: For a solid local campaign in a city like Brisbane, you’re looking at anywhere from $1,500 to $5,000 a month depending on how loud you want to shout. The Timeline: Don't expect a flood of calls in week one. This takes 3 to 6 months to really start biting. The Result: Your "cost per lead" goes down. People click your ads more because they recognise you. Your sales team (or you, on the phone) spends less time explaining who you are and more time booking jobs.
Three Ways to Get Your Name Out There Without Wasting Money
I’ve seen plenty of Brisbane businesses flush money down the toilet on billboard ads that nobody looks at or radio spots that play at 2:00 AM. If you want to be known, you have to be smart.
1. The "Local Hero" Strategy
You don't need to be known by all of Queensland. You just need to be known by the people who can actually hire you. If you’re a roofer in Chermside, why are you paying to show ads to people in Ipswich?
Focus your budget on specific postcodes. Use Facebook and Instagram to show helpful videos—not sales pitches, just helpful stuff—to people living in those specific areas. When they see your face five times in a month, you become the local expert.
2. Show, Don't Just Tell
Stop saying "we provide great service." Everyone says that. It’s boring and nobody believes it. Instead, show the transformation. Show the messy backyard becoming a paradise. Show the burst pipe being fixed while the family sleeps.
When you tell your business story, people connect with you as a human. In a world of faceless franchises, being a real person with a real local team is a massive advantage.
3. Professionalism is a Magnet
I’ll be honest: if your logo looks like your nephew drew it in MS Paint and your van is covered in peeling stickers, being "well-known" might actually hurt you. People judge a book by its cover. If you update your brand, you instantly look like you charge more—and people will pay it because you look like you know what you're doing.
Common Traps to Avoid
I see smart business owners make these mistakes every single week:
The "One and Done" Mistake: They run ads for two weeks, don't get 100 calls, and quit. Being well-known is about repetition. Think about the big brands—Harvey Norman, Bunnings. They never stop. You don't need their budget, but you do need their consistency. Being Too Professional (Boring): You don't need to act like a corporate bank. Use your local lingo. Talk about the Brisbane heat. Mention the local footy team. Be a part of the community. Ignoring the Phone: There is no point in being famous if you don't answer the phone. I’ve seen businesses spend $5k a month to get the phone ringing, only to let it go to a full voicemail box. That’s just burning money.
How to Measure Success (The No-BS Way)
Since we aren't using fancy tracking codes for this, how do you know if it's working?
1. The "I’ve Seen You Everywhere" Test: When you show up to a quote, does the customer say, "I think I saw your video on Facebook"? If they do, it’s working. 2. Direct Search Volume: Look at how many people are typing your actual business name into Google rather than just "plumber near me." When your name becomes the search term, you’ve won. 3. Higher Close Rates: Are people saying "yes" to your quotes faster? If they already trust you before you walk through the door, the sale is much easier.
What Should You Do First?
If you're ready to stop being a secret and start being the first choice in your part of Brisbane, start small.
Pick one suburb you love working in. Take a video of yourself on a job site explaining a common problem you solve. Spend $20 a day showing that video to people in that suburb. Do it for three months.
You’ll be amazed at what happens when people start recognising your van at the local Woolies.
Running a business is hard enough without having to beg for every single lead. When you build a brand, the leads start coming to you.
Want to stop being the best-kept secret in town? At Local Marketing Group, we help Brisbane businesses get noticed by the right people so they can stop chasing work and start choosing it. Contact us today and let’s get your name out there.